First State-Specific Healthcare-Associated Infections Summary Data Report CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) January-June, 2009

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion is the government agency charged with tracking and preventing healthcare-associated infections in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, long-term care facilities and outpatient medical facilities. Healthcare facilities report infections directly into CDC’s monitoring system called National Healthcare Safety Network either voluntarily or because their state requires reporting of one or more infection type.

Information collected through NHSN includes central-line associated infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, blood transfusion infections and more. Many different types of healthcare facilities from every state in the country report to NHSN.

CDC scientists have studied this information and reported on national HAI infection trends [PDF - 5.37 MB]. This information is then used to identify, test and help implement HAI prevention strategies that work.

The First State-Specific HAI Summary Data Report [PDF - 793 KB], the first in a series, represents the first time CDC has reported state-specific infection information. This initial report includes both national central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) data and state-specific data for states mandated by state law to report CLABSIs. Ideally, future reports will include other infection types and data from all states.

Based on the information in this report series, and supported by funding through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, CDC is enhancing its work with state health departments. The Agency is proactively offering technical support and strategic assistance to states interested in beginning or improving infection prevention programs. Data presented in the report series will also help measure progress toward the infection prevention goals in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HAI Action Plan [PDF - 2.27 MB].

Abbreviation key:
CDC = U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
HHS = U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HHS Action Plan = U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections
NHSN = National Healthcare Safety Network
Recovery Act = American Reinvestment and Recovery Act
SIR = Standardized Infection Ratio